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Sir Michael Agbolade Otedola
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Babatunde Raji Fashola condoles Lady Doja Otedola during a visit to the Otedola family home
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Day of Tributes for Otedola:
From left: Mr Femi Otedola, Pastor Mosunmola Otedola, Lagos State Governor - Mr Babatunde Raji Fashola, Lady Doja Otedola, Lagos State Deputy Governor - Mrs Joke Orelope-Adefulire, former Lagos State Military Administrator - Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola, former Deputy Governor - Alhaja Sinatu Ojikutu, former Lagos State Governor - Alhaji Lateef Jakande and his wife - Alhaja Abimbola Jakande; at the 'Day of Tributes for Otedola' organised by the Lagos State Government.
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The remains of Sir Michael Otedola draped in Lagos State colours
Lagos State Governor - Babatunde Raji Fashola has waded into the feud rocking the family of the late Sir Michael Agbolade Otedola - suing for peace.
Speaking during an event tagged 'Days of Tribute for Otedola' which was organised by the Lagos State Government, Fashola asked the family to ensure that peace reigned within it.
Sources close to the family revealed to The Trumpet that a feud which had been on for a number of years even before the death of Sir Otedola, has since escalated since the Octogenarian's death.
Last week, according to our sources, Sir Otedola's eldest child - Mosunmola, an Assistant Pastor at the Redeemed Christian Church of God, was locked up in a room by her half brother - Ayokunle, when she visited her father's house in Odoragunsin, Epe Local Government. She was said to have been 'imprisoned' for five hours before she was eventually thrown out of the family house and told that her presence was not welcome. She was told that she had no business with the burial arrangements.
Sir Otedola married Beatrice in 1954 with whom they had two daughters - Mosunmola and Folake. A few months after the birth of Folake, Sir Otedola won a scholarship to study Journalism at the Regent Street Polytechnic in London from where he graduated in 1958.
It was while in the United Kingdom that he married his second wife Doja (now Lady Doja) - abandoning Beatrice and her children. Lady Doja bore him a son - Ayokunle, while they were in London
Upon his return to Nigeria with Lady Doja and Ayokunle, he abducted Folake from her mother after breaking links with Beatrice.
Sir Michael and Lady Doja later had five other children (three sons and two daughters) - Femi, Rotimi, Lola (now Mrs Idahor), Tola (now Mrs Oye) and Olumuyiwa.
Later in life, Sir Otedola rekindled contact with his daughters from his first marriage - Mosunmola and Folake. Mama Beatrice Otedola died in 2007.
A source revealed that a few years ago, when Sir Otedola woke up from a coma in a London hospital with Ayo, Femi among other siblings from their mother at his bedside; Sir Michael kept on asking for Folake and asked them to fetch her.
Efforts by The Trumpet to speak to Sir Otedola's children, particularly Mosunmola and Ayokunle, proved abortive as their mobile phones were unanswered.
Sir Otedola was born on the 16 July 1926 into a Muslim family at Odoragunsin, Epe Local Government Area of Lagos State. He later converted to Christianity.
He began his career as a teacher before working as a Reporter at the St. Pancras Chronicle, then as a Reporter and later Sub-Editor at The Guardian and The Times of London.
On his return to Nigeria in 1959, he became an Information Officer in the Western Nigeria government, and while in this post he was appointed the Editor of the Western Nigeria Illustrated.
In 1961, he moved into public relations, working for Western Nigeria Television/Western Broadcasting Service (1961-1964) and Mobil Oil Group of Companies (1964-1977), continuing as a Consultant to Mobil after leaving the company.
He was elected governor of Lagos State from 1992 to 1993 on the platform of the National Republican Convention (NRC), leaving office when General Sani Abacha came to power. His administration facilitated establishing the Yaba College of Technology campus in Epe, his home town.
After leaving office, he continued his career as a writer, a consultant holding positions on the boards various businesses, and as a philanthropist.
In February 2010, ThisDay newspaper announced that he was among 15 eminent Nigerians who had won Lifetime Achievement Awards.
He died on 5 May 2014 at his residence in Odoragunsin.
Sir Michael's son - Femi, is the billionaire owner of Zenon Petroleum and Gas Limited and Forte Oil.